Flushing actuator for a toilet bowl tank



Jan. 1%, Egg? E P|CKETT ET AL FLUSHING ACTUATOR FOR A TOILET BOWL T Filed Feb. 14, 1964 ANK k MW E 25 8 FNISIB.

uwvamoas LLEWELLYN E. PICKETT 5 JOHN ALBERT comm L. M5 mi r United States Fatent Ofiice 3,296,631 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 3,296,631 FLUSHING ACTUATOR FOR A TOILET BOWL TANK Llewellyn E. Pickett and John Albert Collett, Port Credit,

Ontario, Canada, assignors, by mesne assignments, to

Palleon Electronics Limited, Cornwell, Ontario, Canada, a corporation of Canada Filed Feb. 14, 1964. Ser. No. 344,940 7 Claims. (Cl. 4-249) This invention relates to improvements in a flushing actuator for a toilet bowl tank and appertains particularly to a universal-type electrically operated mechanism for installation in a conventional toilet tank suitable for connection with and operation by a remote control such as an automatic flushing activator.

While various automatic toilet fiushers are known and attempts have been made to connect some of the automatic activators to the existing mechanisms in the conventional toilet tanks, these have been mainly unsuccessful for one or more of many reasons such as failure to adapt to the many different styles of tanks, or sizes of overfiow pipes or lack of space above the high water level in the underside of the cover or inadequacy of electric circuit safeguards.

With an increasing public acceptance of automatic activators in new installations, the need for mechanism to adapt conventional manually flushed toilet tanks for operative connection with such electro, electromechanical or electronic activators became imperative.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a universal-type flushing-operating mechanism, operable by an automatic activator or the like, that is suitable for installation in any conventional toilet tank.

A further object of the invention is to provide such an eletcrically operated flushing mechanism that may be easily and quickly installed in the tank of a flush toilet and operatively attached to the existing flushing lever relied on to unseat the tanks ball valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated flushing actuator having a universal-type solenoid-carrying bracket that may be installed on the inside of the front wall of the tank, hooking over the rim of the tank and thrusting against the handle or crank end of the usual flushing lever.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated flushing mechanism for installation in and connection with a conventional flush toilet tank apparatus that is characterized by reliable structural simplicity, low cost of manufacture and installation, durability and efficiency, being thereby rendered commercially desirable.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings forming a part of this disclosure wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a common type flush toilet, with part of the water tank cover broken away to expose my electrically operated flushing mechanism installed therein;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged vertical section of the toilet tank as taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1, showing the usual flushing mechanism therein with my electric actuator connected thereto;

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of the elongated mounting bracket with the electric solenoid secured thereto, prior to installation;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse vertical section of the solenoid carrying end of the mounting bracket when hooked on the rim of the tank wall, as taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical section of the opposite end of the bracket that is notched to straddle and thrust against the crank or handle end of the flushing lever, as taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Reference is now had to these drawings in which 1 indicates the toilet bowl, 2 the usual tank supplied from a suitable water source and connected therewith by a conduit 3 the mouth of which is controlled by a ball valve 4. A valve stem 5 rises from the ball valve with a lift rod 6 connecting the top of the stem with the free end of the flushing lever 7. The opposite end of the lever 7 is bent at right angles in a crank arm 8 that projects outwardly through the front wall of the tank 2 and is affixed to a handle 9. The handle 9 carries a barrel 10 in which it is rotatable and that extends through a tank wall, serving as a bearing for the crank arm or spindle portion 8, the barrel exteriorly threaded on its inner end and carrying a nut 11. The apparatus thus far described is commonly found in the conventional, manually flushed toilet.

To enable this type of flush toilet to be electrically actuated I provide a very simple mechanism based upon a novel mounting bracket that can be easily and quickly installed in any normal tank of the character above described. This novel bracket 15 is an elongated metal strip, relatively thin and flat so that it can be made of sheet metal of suitable gauge. A typical bracket may be approximately 1 /2 inches wide and approximately 12 inches long. One end is bifurcated by a notch 16 that extends inwardly from the end approximately midway of the width of the sheet. At or near the opposite end of the bracket, a tab 17 extends from one edge. This laterally extending tab or wing 17 is shown as formed integral with the bracket strip but to save material wastage or to substitute thinner or more easily bendable material it may be formed of a separate piece suitably secured as by spot welding.

An electric solenoid 18 is mounted on the face of the bracket 15 near the tab-carrying end, being disposed preferably at an angle to the longitudinal median thereof, with its plunger 19 projecting in the general direction of the notched end of the bracket. A flexible connector such as the beaded chain 20 is connected by one end to the exposed end of the solenoid plunger 19 and carries on its other end a hook or bell crank 21, being attached to the end of one arm 21a thereof. The other arm 21 of the bell crank carries a clamping sleeve 22 with a set screw 23 threaded through the wall thereof by means of which the bell crank or hook 21 may be attached to the flushing lever 7 of a toilet tank.

In installing the flushing actuator bracket 15 in a toilet tank, the elongated wide flat strip is disposed on its edge adjacent the inisde of the front wall of the tank 2, with the tab 17 rising vertically. The nut 11 on the handle barrel is loosened and the notch 16 now appearing as positioned midway of the height of the bracket is moved in under the loosened nut to straddle and abut the handle barrel 10 after which the nut 11 is again tightened, as shown in detailed FIGURES 2 and 5. Next the tab 17 is bent forwardly over the rim of the tank 2 and then downwardly in a rectangular inverted U engaging and hooking on the front upper edge of the tank, as clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The bell crank 21 is attached to the flushing lever 7 by slipping the clamp 22 on over the free end of the lever and, with the bell crank positioned with its angle as close as possible to the axis of the crank arm 8 of the flushing lever, the clamp is tightened in place by its set screw 23 to hold the bell crank arm 21 along the underside of the flush lever 7 and its other arm 21 depending therefrom with the flexible connector running to the solenoid 17 with just a little slack. The solenoid 18 is finally wired in to the controlling circuit from such actuator or circuit closer as may be employed and the tank cover 2 placed as usual, unaffected by either the inverted U suspending hook of the tab 17 or the solenoid wiring which would be preferably of the well known flat design.

Though the conventional toilet tank 2 illustrated in these drawings shows a ball valve 4 controlling the mouth of the conduit 3, it will be apparent that this novel flushing mechanism is useable in like manner where a cylinder valve, a flapper valve or other hinged valve or any such comparable valve is employed to control the flow of flush water. Accordingly, the term ball valve as used throughout this specification and in the claims is to be interpreted as covering all such flush controlling valves.

The installation of this electric actuator will not interfere with the normal manual flushing of the toilet by rocking the flush handle 9 as the action would be taken up in the further slackening of the flexible connector 20.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a flushing actuator for a toilet bowl tank is provided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device, but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrictive sense.

What is claimed as new is:

1. An electrically operated flushing mechanism for installation in a conventional flush toilet tank comprising an elongated mounting bracket having a notch in one end and a tab extending laterally near the other end;

a solenoid secured to said bracket near the tab-carrying end;

a bell crank for attachment to the tanks flushing lever;

and

a flexible member connecting said solenoid and said bell crank.

2. The mechanism of claim 1 in which the elongated mounting bracket is a wide fiat strip, the notch extends inwardly approximately midway of the height thereof and the laterally extending tab is bendable to straddle the tank rim as an inverted U.

3. An electrically operated flushing mechanism for installation in a conventional flush toilet tank comprising an elongated mounting bracket having a notch in one end and a tab extending laterally near the other end;

a solenoid secured to said bracket near the tab-carrying end;

a bell crank,

a clamp for attaching said bell crank to the tanks flushing lever; and a flexible member connecting said solenoid and said bell crank. 4. For use with a conventional flush toilet tank having a conduit leading to the toilet bowl, a ball valve in said conduit, 21 valve lift rod, a flushing lever engaging said rod, a handle for said lever, and a lever nut; the combination with an electric circuit and a circuit closer of a flushing actuator comprising a solenoid in said circuit, an elongated bracket with an inverted U-shaped hook near one end to engage the upper edge of the tank and a notch in the opposite end to straddle the handle crank end of the flushing lever, said bracket carrying said solenoid near its hook-on end; a bell crank for attachment to said flushing lever; and a flexible connector between said solenoid and said bell crank. 5. For use with a conventional flush toilet a conduit leading to the toilet bowl, a ball valve in said conduit, 21 valve lift rod, a flushing lever engaging said rod, a handle for said lever, and a lever unit; the combination with an electric circuit and a circuit closer of a flushing actuator comprising a solenoid in said circuit, an elongated bracket with an inverted U-shaped hook near one end to engage the upper edge of the tank and a notch in the opposite end to straddle the handle crank end of the flushing lever, said bracket carrying said solenoid near its hook-on end; a bell crank connected to said flushing lever near its handle crank end; and a flexible connector between said solenoid and said bell crank. 6. For use with a conventional flush toilet a conduit leading to the toilet bowl, a ball valve in said conduit, a valve lift rod, a flushing lever engaging said rod, a handle for said lever, and a lever nut; the combination with an electric circuit and a circuit closer of a flushing actuator comprising a solenoid in said circuit, an elongated bracket with an inverted U-shaped hook near one end to engage the upper edge of the tank and a notch in the opposite end to straddle the handle crank end of the flushing lever, said bracket carrying said solenoid near its hook-on end; a bell crank; a clamp adjustably connecting said bell crank on said flushing lever near its handle crank end; and a flexible connector between said solenoid and said bell crank. 7. For use with a conventional flush toilet a conduit leading to the toilet bowl, a ball valve in said conduit, a valve lift rod, a flushing lever engaging said rod, a handle for said lever, and a lever unit; the combination with an electric circuit and a circuit closer of a flushing actuator comprising a solenoid in said circuit, an elongated bracket with an inverted U-shaped hook near one end to engage the upper edge of the tank and a notch in the opposite end to straddle the hantank having tank having tank having dle crank end of the flushing lever said bracket carrying said solenoid near its hook-on end;

a bell crank;

a clamp adjustably connecting a substantially horizontal arm of said bell crank on the underside of said flushing lever near its handle crank end; and

a flexible beaded chain connecting said solenoid with the depending substantially vertical arm of said bell crank.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 647,41 1 2,061,310 11/1936 Kleiser LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

H. GROSS, Assistant Examiner.

4/1900 Jenkins 4100 

1. AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED FLUSHING MECHANISM FOR INSTALLATION IN A CONVENTIONAL FLUSH TOILET TANK COMPRISING AN ELONGATED MOUNTING BRACKET HAVING A NOTCH IN ONE END AND A TAB EXTENDING LATERALLY NEAR THE OTHER END; A SOLENOID SECURED TO SAID BRACKET NEAR THE TAB-CARRYING END; A BELL CRANK FOR ATTACHMENT TO THE TANK''S FLUSHING LEVER; AND A FLEXIBLE MEMBER CONNECTING SAID SOLENOID AND SAID BELL CRANK. 